Las Vegas – UFC® is bringing the heat to close out 2016 with two world title fights and a card filled with some of the biggest names in mixed martial arts. Women’s bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes will defend her 135-pound crown for the first time against arguably the most dominant champion in history, Ronda Rousey, in the main event. The co-main event will see the men’s bantamweight world title on the line in a grudge match between division kingpin Dominick Cruz and one of the sport’s fastest rising stars, Cody Garbrandt. UFC® 207: NUNES vs. ROUSEY takes place Friday, Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. With all eyes on the Octagon® for the return of Rousey (12-1, fighting out of Venice, Calif.) the stage is set for champion Nunes (13-4, fighting…

In a recent interview with Fight Network’s John Pollock, Tate attributes her win to her team helping her to finally shed the ‘flat-footed wrestler’ and she’s grateful she’s no longer a “reckless, chaotric striker.” When asked about her take down defense, Tate had this to say about her performance in both take down rounds. “We saw both cases. In the second round she stayed down there and took some heavy ground and pound. In the fifth round she definitely didn’t want to get stuck down there again so she tried to zealously get up and I saw the opening and I took it. We planned for that and we assumed that was going to happen.”

On Tuesday a picture surfaced of Ronda Rousey in her usual UFC branded workout shorts and a sports bra looking in less than prime shape. Keep in mind it’s not unusual for fighters to ease up on their diet between fights. In fact pre-loss Rousey has said a number of times in interviews that she walks around at a comfortable weight and prefers to be photographed at a “normal” weight to promote the idea of general health in women. But make no mistake, Rousey is a bit heavier than we’ve seen her in a while. Before the activist emerge and accuse BC of weight shaming, that is not the intent. It’s more of an observation…

“You’re not famous until my mother has heard of you.”~ Jay Leno In an interview published by Fight Hype early in 2016, Floyd Mayweather considered retired women’s boxing champ Laila Ali a victim of a racist system that praised white UFC fighter Ronda Rousey for her accomplishments but did not heap such glory upon Ali during her career. “But you look at things like this, Ronda Rousey, you know, I think she fought somewhere like 11 or 12 fights, which is not a bad thing. Laila Ali went undefeated and was dominating too,” Mayweather said. “After Ronda Rousey fought I think 9, 10, 11 fights, it didn’t even take that long, she got all types of…

In a completely classy and selfless act, former champion Ronda Rousey made good on her word to attend the Marine Corps Ball. Months ago, Lance Corporal Jarrod Haschert asked Rousey to attend the ball with him in South Carolina, which she graciously accepted. Given her recent defeat, it would have been understandable if she didn’t attend but she did. According to reports she posed for pictures with Haschert and his friends. Rousey said, “It’s an honor to be asked. I honestly would probably stay on my couch crying and eating ice cream for another month if he didn’t ask me to leave my house so this is probably a good thing. But I’m excited,” she…

Since losing the UFC title to Holly Holm in November, Ronda Rousey virtually disappeared from the public eye to heal from her wounds, regroup and presumably plan for an upcoming rematch. On Tuesday, the now former champion speaks for the first time to ESPN The Magazine reporter Ramona Shelburne in her first formal interview in the aftermath of her loss. The full interview hits news stands on Tuesday. According to People Magazine, who was granted an excerpt of the interview, Rousey says she was “sad” about losing to Holm and provides details on the injuries she suffered during the match. Additionally Holm will stick to her pre-fight plan of taking time off away from he…

If you’ve been waiting to see INVICTA FC champion Cris Cyborg make her fighting debut at 140 pounds unfortunately your wish won’t be granted unless there is a huge financial windfall at the end of the rainbow. In an open letter on her site CrysCyborg.com, the “baddest woman on the planet” says health wise competing at 135 pounds is not her best option. After careful discussions with her nutritionists and strength and conditioning coaches, 145 pounds is a better choice health wise and what she’ll compete at going forward. Cyborg also discusses long time media nemesis Ronda Rousey and new champion Holly Holm. Below is an excerpt from her post: Some fans are disappointed I…

On a recent installment of Off The Record with Michael Landsberg on Thursday, UFC head Dana White confirmed that he and CEO Lorenzo Fertitta had spoken to Rousey since her loss to Holly Holm and she informed them she was “exhuasted” ahead of the bout. “I’ve talked to her almost everyday after the fight and when she sat down with me and Lorenzo a few days ago, she said, ‘I was exhausted going into that fight. I was exhausted mentally, physically, emotional,’” White said. “She had a lot of personal things going on, too, with her family.” An unsurprising revelation given Rousey’s movie filming schedule, press obligations and personal issues outside the ring. These revelations begin to shape…

Yes, it’s still Rousey vs. Holm. The UFC isn’t calling it that but, the champion doesn’t always get top billing and Ronda Rousey is still one of the biggest athletes worldwide, whether you like it or not. Appearing this morning on ESPN’s Mike & Mike, UFC Chief Dana White says the rematch between Holm and Rousey is on the horizon. “I think that if we didn’t make the rematch, me and [UFC CEO] Lorenzo [Fertitta] should probably lose our promoters’ license,” White said on the morning ESPN radio show Mike & Mike. “Yeah, that fight’s going to happen. I don’t know when, but that’s the fight that will happen.” Watch the full interview here.

All good things come to an end at some point and for Ronda Rousey her UFC title reign came to a thudding end at UFC 193 at the hands of Holly Holm. To say Holly Holm’s second round head kick win over Ronda Rousey was an upset is putting it mildly. But what the most shocking is how the fight played out. Rousey tried, as she has in ever fight, pushing forward and imposing her will on Holm but what she wasn’t ready for was the straight left from Holm that found its target early and possibly broke her nose in the opening round. Using movement and footwork, Holm forced Ronda to chase her…